Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Confirmed: The Ebola outbreak has hit the U.S.

The CDC has confirmed the first Ebola case
diagnosed in the U.S. and will hold a news conference at 5:30PM E.T.
Tuesday. CNBC&#039;s Meg Tirrell has the details. </p>

The United States has one confirmed case of Ebola,
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday, marking
the first domestic appearance of the deadly virus that has ravaged
swaths of continental Africa.The as-yet unidentified patient is located
in Dallas, officials say, effectively confirming a statement issued on
Monday by Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. The organization
said that an unnamed patient was being tested for Ebola and had been
placed in "strict isolation" due to the patient's symptoms and recent
travel history.

In a press conference, CDC Director Tom
Frieden said the patient in question had been traveling in Liberia,
where he may have contracted the disease. He returned to the United
States on the 20th of September, after which he sought care. Frieden
attempted to assuage concerns about Ebola's contagious effect, saying
that the virus was only spread through direct contact, and was not
airborne. He vowed that officials would contain a potential spread."It is certainly possible that someone who
had contact with this individual...could develop Ebola in the coming
weeks," Frieden said, but added that "there is no doubt in my mind that we will stop it here," Frieden said.